Dips, bites and finger food for the moment people are already walking through the door. Most take under 20 minutes, and several hold well on a buffet table without going soggy.
Ina Garten Spanish Tapas Peppers are easy to make ahead for a dinner party appetizer spread. Roasted red and yellow pepper wedges get stuffed with olives, anchovies, saffron, and sherry-soaked golden raisins, then baked until the bread crumb topping crisps up. The saffron and anchovy combo gives a deep, savory bite that regular stuffed peppers …
Ina Garten roasted red pepper hummus, a make ahead party dip, started at her Barefoot Contessa shop where the crew made batches of it daily. She blends Sriracha and roasted red peppers into the classic, so it has a warm, smoky kick that regular versions don’t have. The food processor does all the work in …
Ina Garten goat cheese toasts need 6 ingredients and one trick: raw garlic rubbed on hot bread. She bakes baguette slices until crisp, then rubs each with a cut garlic clove. Creamy goat cheese and Castelvetrano olives go on top for an easy party appetizer. The bread needs to be hot when you rub the …
Ina Garten warm fig & arugula salad takes a quick make ahead approach to a dinner party starter you can mostly prep days in advance. Roasting under-ripe figs at 375 draws out their sweetness, and they land warm on cold peppery arugula with Roquefort and toasted walnuts. Roast the figs right before serving because the …
Ina Garten Marinated Herbed Feta skips the oil bath that turns most feta greasy. She slices the cheese thick and tops it with thyme, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. This make ahead dinner party appetizer needs a drizzle of oil and four hours in the fridge. Serve the feta at room temperature, not straight …
Ina Garten cacio e pepe cheese puffs are an easy party appetizer she built after eating at Lilia in Brooklyn. Missy Robbins served oversized Pecorino and pepper puffs there, and Ina went home to make her own batch recipe from just 8 ingredients. Scald the milk before adding flour, because that burst of heat is …
Ina Garten chipotle cheddar crackers skip the fussy rolling and cutting you’d expect from scratch. She mixes six ingredients into a log, freezes it, then slices and bakes when friends show up for drinks. They’re a batch recipe built for any party appetizer spread. Sharp, aged Cheddar is what separates these from bland cheese crackers, …
Ina Garten Bruschettas with Sautéed Chard, a make ahead appetizer for entertaining, started at Cantinetta Antinori in Florence. She and Jeffrey ate garlicky toasts piled with warm greens there, and she came home to recreate them with fresh chard from her garden. Don’t squeeze liquid from the blanched chard before sautéing it in the pan. …
Ina Garten fresh crab nachos are an easy game day appetizer so good, her assistant said nobody would watch football. She layers jumbo lump crab in a creamy cheese mix over chips with Cheddar and Monterey Jack. Fresh avocado tomato salsa goes right on top before serving. The move here is jumbo lump crab instead …
Ina Garten ham and leek empanadas are an easy make ahead recipe she created after a San Francisco food truck visit. Puff pastry replaces homemade dough, so these party appetizers take minutes to assemble. They freeze for three months and bake straight from the freezer. Press the edges with a fork to get a tight …